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Dirt Rag Articles
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During its first incarnation from 1991 to 1998, Eastern Woods Research cranked out some ground-braking bicycle geometries that still influence the world of mountain bike design to this day. During the early '90s, EWR progenitor Jay de Jesus tapped his background in mountain biking, observed trials and BMX to create bikes that were a radical and lively departure from the cookie-cutter NORBA-standard geometry bikes that ruled the day. Armed with shorter chainstays, taller bottom brackets and quicker angles, EWR bikes introduced the term "flickability" into the collective mountain bike vocabulary.
Now, after a ten year hiatus, EWR is back in the game. Jay has been busy at the drawing board, translating his EWR handling philosophy into a bike design that's in step with the current era, where all-around hardtails sport four-inch travel forks. I recently caught up with Jay and asked him to spill the beans about the re-launched EWR.
Dirt Rag: Why did you decide that now was the time to bring EWR back?
Jay de Jesus: I've always had people looking for them [EWR bikes] and I've always been acutely aware of people on mtbr and other forums seeking them out. I've had at least a few emails a month from 1998 until now from people looking for them. So I knew there was a really neat underground culture of people who loved and dug these things.
Kenn found his original bike that he actually made—Kenn Rymdeko is one of the guys I'm partners with, he was one of the original guys at EWR, he actually did a lot of the tube cutting and forming back in '92 and '93. He actually made his own bike back then, but had to sell it at some point. Ten years later he was able to get his old bike back, and he was so passionate and enthused about it that he wanted to help restart the brand.
It was a combination of all that passion and interest out there, and Kenn's enthusiasm and willingness to come on board. He and a friend Don Stauffer, who's the third party involved, we're all good friends.
Those two guys basically brought the financing to the table, and I brought the knowledge and background and engineering and vision. It's a collaboration of three passionate people, each bringing their vision to it.
DR: It looks like your first bike is a updated Woods Bike, designed around a 4" travel fork. Does that pretty much sum it up?
JdJ: Yeah, those are all changes and adjustments I've always wanted to make. Since '98, or before, I recognized the bike had a heavy trials influence in '91 [when first designed] and that things progressed beyond that in my riding style, and in the general riding world. So I just needed to make some changes.
Those are all addressed on these bikes. The tube sets, the handling, the angles, lower bottom bracket, obviously disc brake mounts—those are all changes that I wanted, and that everybody else recognizes needed updated. The bike was last updated in '94 or '95, and hadn't really changed since then.
DR: I understand that you've recently had a chance to ride the new prototypes. How would you sum up your initial impressions?
JdJ: Two ways. One is "stunning." All the changes I made, they all worked out. I was amazed that they were all spot on, as far as the handling and the way the ride felt. So I was really, really, really super psyched.
Secondly, there was gratification that from what I knew in my head that I wanted to change—that we could put that onto paper and juggle the numbers, select tubing from what was out there, knowing that there's better tubing available these days, going back and forth with the builder regarding tubing specs and sizes and my intended outcome and handling— knowing that what was in all of our minds had absolutely come out in the finished product on the first prototype run.
DR: When do you expect to crank out the first production bikes?
JdJ: The prototyping will go really quickly. We just want to make sure we have everything nailed down. We do have to make some changes on the first run, with braze-on placement and stuff like that. How far out are they? We'll have bikes ready this spring.
DR: Are you taking orders yet?
JdJ: We have a bunch of stuff pre-sold. The first run is between an third and a half pre-sold, with deposits. People can contact us regarding orders via info@ewrbikes.com.
DR: Do you have a price set for the finished frames, with paint?
JdJ: They're all going to be powder coated. We don't have a firm number yet, because we need to make some decisions on paint and graphics. They're going to be around $1000, which is only a few hundred dollars more than they were in 1998.
DR: In addition to the Woods Bike, what do you plan to roll out next?
JdJ: We have a lot of interest in a 29er. People are asking left and right about those. Soon as we're done with the first production run, we'll probably do those next.
The only problem is that our bikes have really short chainstays, and that's a hard thing with 29ers, especially with front derailleur overlap. So we're actually thinking about doing a 96er. I was gonna sort of throw that out there and see what people thought. I do like the acceleration of a 26-inch wheel; I'm pretty fond of that. To get the handling we want, it may be a problem with a 29-inch rear wheel. A 96er may be the way to go. But we're definitely going to embrace the big wheel movement. We just haven't made any firm decisions there yet.
We're also looking at doing full-suspension Woods Bike, and an E-Motion race hardtail. We're looking at a four-inch or so travel trail bike along the similar lines of our handling—short rear, longer front.
DR: Can you tell us where your bikes are being built?
JdJ: They're being built by Bilenky Cycle Works in Philadelphia. These guys have been in it for around three decades. The guy's an artist, first and foremost, and a phenomenal builder with a huge pedigree. I couldn't be happier with his enthusiasm, tenacity and quality. He's local, and we can drive down and visit him. It's a great working collaborative. He and his staff are phenomenal.
DR: One final, philosophical question to wrap it up. Why does the world need another bike company, and more specifically, why does it need EWR right now?
JdJ: From the past, I think there was some unfinished business with customers that wanted our bikes and really were very passionate about the lore and the contribution that these bikes have made to the types of bikes that are out there right now. They were passionate and loyal to the brand. These bikes formulated a lot of what you see out there in dirt jumping and aggressive hardtail bikes.
So it was a service to people from the past. And then going forward it's still always been a dream of mine to do this. This is something I've always wanted to do, since I was a little kid. And I think we also fulfill a niche that not a whole lot of people fill. With specialization in mountain biking, there's definitely room for a do-it-all hardtail.
Ed note: Eastern Woods Research is online at www.ewrbikes.com.
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| Comment from Chad on 2009-02-22 |
| THANK YOU! I have been looking for a new EWR since about 6months after I sold mine in 2005! |
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| Comment from Bill Smith on 2008-02-24 |
| Great article. Jay introduced me to trials in the early 90s when I worked at the Bicycle Shop in State College.I want to deperately ride 96er. Bring it on Jay. |
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| Comment from Mikey on 2008-02-01 |
| Thank you, Jay, for reminding us of the way mountain biking started, with small, innovative, passionate companies formed by riders & racers. I remember EWR from the past and look forward to new products and ideas from you all. Best wishes and good luck! PS- see you at Hubbard |
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| Comment from RickB on 2008-01-10 |
| Nice to see EWR back. I'd really like to see a pure 29er rather than a 96er, but no front der necessary - a 1x9 friendly frame would be fine. |
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| Comment from dave on 2008-01-09 |
| Very good article, well said and I can't wait to see people riding EWRS. The bikes are fun to ride. Ride on! |
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